Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Hilperton
It is not known if there was a Saxon church here but there was certainly a Norman church of the 13th century. Built in rubble, with stone dressings, it had a chancel, a short nave, a south porch and a tower. The tower, the south porch and the floor of the nave are preserved in the present church. The village developed to the north and east of the church and nearby manor house and the church site remained on the edge of the settlement. For centuries the church proved adequate for the needs of the village but the population rose fairly rapidly in the first half of the 19th century and in 1847 there was a proposal to enlarge the church, as it was too small to take the number of people wishing to worship. In 1852 a petition to pull down the nave and chancel was granted and the church was rebuilt on a larger scale on the same site and on adjoining land. Stone from the earlier church was re-used and monumental tablets were place in similar positions in the new church to those they had occupied in the old. The style of the new church was 14th century and a vestry and gallery were added. The cost was about £1,100 of which £300 was provided by Walter Long, the patron, £50 by the rector and £100 from the church rate. Work began in May 1852 and the new church was dedicated on 22nd December 1852. It was designed by T.H. Wyatt and was basically a reproduction of the earlier building with a longer nave and different windows.
The gallery at the western end was used for the organ and a new pulpit and seating were provided.
In 1868 a clock, made by Faiver, was installed at a cost of £95. In 1892 the vestry was enlarged and the organ moved there from the gallery. The chancel was improved and new choir stalls built and all work was completed by 1894, being dedicated on 15th April. The peel of six bells were recast and made in 1909 and re-hung in the small tower. The Norman font was originally in Whaddon church, where it was replaced in 1837 and, after being deposited in various places it was installed in St. Michael's by the architect, C.E. Ponting in 1892-4. The registers dating from 1694, other than those in current use, are held in the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre.
In 1868 a clock, made by Faiver, was installed at a cost of £95. In 1892 the vestry was enlarged and the organ moved there from the gallery. The chancel was improved and new choir stalls built and all work was completed by 1894, being dedicated on 15th April. The peel of six bells were recast and made in 1909 and re-hung in the small tower. The Norman font was originally in Whaddon church, where it was replaced in 1837 and, after being deposited in various places it was installed in St. Michael's by the architect, C.E. Ponting in 1892-4. The registers dating from 1694, other than those in current use, are held in the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre.